Beginnings
by catey123
Summary: set a year or so after Cameron has left PPTH, Wilson and her meet up again. What starts as friendship leads to more and both deal with the consequences of their relationship. Mild spoilers for those who haven't seen season 7 so far.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n I haven't written for this pairing in quite awhile, but watching older episodes got me in the mood to do so again. I miss Cameron a lot on the show. So, I felt the urge to write for them again. Wilson/Cameron pairing, mild spoilers for season 7 contained within first chapter.**

Allison entered the hotel lobby carrying her bags. She headed for the front desk, hoping she'd be quickly able to get her room and get rid of them. She really shouldn't have packed so much, she thought to herself, but it was a 5 day conference and she was far from home. She got in line behind several other guests and awaited her turn. The line moved slowly and before long more people had joined her in line. She finally made it through check-in and headed for the elevator to go to her room. As she walked, she turned her attention to the packet of material that had been provided for the conference. Paying attention to it and struggling with her bags, she wasn't watching where she was going and ran into someone. She immediately apologized, looking up and meeting a pair of familiar brown eyes.

"James! I didn't know you were going to be at this conference. It's good to see you." Allison's eyes lit up when she seen her old friend, James Wilson.

Wilson smiled at her, glad to see her. It had been a long while and he still missed her presence at PPTH. They had been friends, and she'd been there for him after Amber had passed away. It seemed so long ago.

"I'm giving a speech tomorrow. Is it one you're scheduled to attend?" James said. "It's good to see you, Allison."

"I don't know, I just got here and was trying to go over the information, albeit unsuccessfully. I'm just heading up to my room to dump these bags. I packed way too much." Allison smiled at him.

"Here, let me help you. I'm already settled in my room." Before she could protest, he took one bag from her and indicated for her to lead the way. They headed for the elevator together.

"So are you presenting anything at this conference?" Wilson asked her, making conversation.

"No, no, I'm just attending. Listen, Wilson, thanks for your help, I appreciate this." Allison said, as the elevator dinged and they got off on her floor.

"It's not a problem, Allison. Always did love to help a damsel in distress." He followed her down the hallway in the direction of her room.

Allison just snorted at him, before stopping at her room. She quickly opened the door and held it for him. He followed her into the room, setting her bag down on the floor beside the bed.

Allison set her other bag down beside it before going over to the curtains and throwing them open, letting sunshine into the room. She turned to face him.

"So, are you in a hurry? I'm starving and want to head to the restaurant. I'd love some company and a chance to catch up." Allison was very glad to see him, he was one of the few things she missed about her old job, her old life.

"I was just heading for something to eat when we ran into each other."

"Is that a yes to the company?" Allison smiled.

"That's a yes." James smiled back at her.

"Just let me freshen up, and then I'll be ready to go." She fished out her cosmetics bag and went to the washroom. She wasn't there long, just enough to brush her hair, wash her face and put on a fresh coat of lipstick. She came back out to find Wilson out on the balcony, looking down on the lake.

"Ready?" she asked, joining him on looking down at the beauty of the resort they were at.

"Yes, I just needed some air. I drove up here and I'm still tired. It was a long trip."

"You'll be sleeping before we get our meal! We better move it then." Allison didn't know where all this light and airiness within her came from. She was usually so serious. In a new city, a new job, she hadn't cultivated any new friendships, just acquaintances at work. Being with Wilson was a relief for her. He was familiar, he was safe, he was a friend.

"Nah, I just need a good meal. It will perk me right up. Shall we?"

Cameron smiled, grabbed her purse and headed out the door with him. It didn't take them long to get to the hotel restaurant, which wasn't busy mid-day. They were seated and left with menus, both of them pouring over them. When the waitress came back, they quickly gave their orders and then settled back in. They began to chat.

"So how are things at PPTH?" Allison was curious. Even given all the drama that had occurred there, she found she missed the place more as time went by. The place and the people.

"Same ol', same ol'. Do you really want to know the details?" Wilson asked her. He was exhausted just thinking about the drama that had happened the last year there.

"Start with you. We'll go from there."

"Well, I almost asked someone to marry me again. My ex-wife and I had gotten back together and I was going to propose to her. But it didn't work out." Wilson sighed.

"I'm sorry, James." She really was. James needed a little happiness in his life.

"House and Cuddy broke up. You knew they were in a relationship? Well, it fell apart. House took it pretty hard. Ended up getting married to some girl, trying to punish Lisa. I can see that's going to work out wonderfully." He kind of grunted at that. He had a feeling he'd be picking up the pieces between the two of them for a long time.

"No, I didn't know they were in a relationship. And who did House marry? And why?" Allison was curious and it pinched her heart a little. She still had a few feelings for him. Ones that he'd never returned.

"A girl named Dominika. She needed a green card, he wanted to punish Cuddy for breaking up with him. Win/win, apparently." Wilson shook his head.

Allison didn't know what to say. It seemed an extreme reaction, but then, who was she to say? She'd run from the situation in Princeton.

"How's Cuddy doing?"

"She's hurt, but she's trying hard to hide it."

"Been there, done that. I wish her the best." Allison took a sip of water, putting memories of her unrequited love for House behind her.

Wilson looked at her, sensing her downturn in mood. Sometimes it was better to leave the past in the past.

"Let's say we forget this trip down memory lane? What are you here at the conference for? Which meetings are you attending?" Wilson threw her this lifeline.

"Dr. Turner, the leading doctor in immunochemistry, is giving a lecture and I wanted to hear it. I've been looking forward to it for the last couple of weeks. It's my first conference in a long time. Besides, it gives me something to do. I don't do much of interest." Cameron was relieved when the waitress arrived with their meal.

Wilson looked at the lecture folder that Cameron had brought down with her. "Well, that covers two hours of your time here. Why don't you come to mine? I do give my presentation tomorrow. It will be relatively painless for you."

"I think I'd like that. I'm sure I can fit it into my schedule." Cameron didn't add that she hadn't planned to attend many of the events, and had just been looking for a small vacation. She hadn't had one in a long time and the conference was in a beautiful location. It was a nice perk that she normally wouldn't have gone to, but had actually welcomed this chance to get away from her new job.

"Well, you know what an amazing and interesting speaker I am. I'm sure it will be a delight for you." James deadpanned, getting the desired effect of a laugh out of her.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be. You know, Wilson, it really is good to see you. I've missed you a lot."

"Well, you're presence is definitely missed at the hospital."

"I hate to admit it, but I miss it too. I wonder sometimes if I made the wrong decision. Whether I should have stayed to fight for Chase and I. I did love him." Cameron frowned.

"Have you moved on? Started dating?" Wilson was curious.

"A few dates, nothing serious. I haven't wanted to get involved with anyone. Kind of gunshy." Allison admitted to him.

"I'm not seeing anyone right now, either. Everything with Sam just left me worn out."

They fell silent after this, finishing their meals. Pretty soon they were done, paid the bill and were ready to leave.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day? Are you going to the dinner tonight?" Wilson asked her.

"I was planning to. Other than that, just was going to unpack and relax. I don't get much chance to just do nothing."

"Care to go for a walk down by the lake?"

"I'd like that." Cameron smiled, walking side by side with him. He'd always been a nice man, especially with her. She wasn't ready to leave his company yet, so she was happy to go. She figured it was nice to have a friend beside her after all this time. They walked in companionable silence, both glad that they'd run into one another.


	2. Chapter 2

The lake was beautiful and Allison was enjoying the company. Wilson was telling her all about his cat, Sara, and she found it amusing that he was so taken with this cat. A tiny bit of her wished she had one, something to keep her company when she wasn't at work, She didn't go out much. But beyond that, she realized how much she missed Wilson's calm, reassuring voice. She'd never said goodbye when she'd left Princeton, although they kept in touch by email every once in awhile and were Facebook friends. No matter her intentions, she couldn't put everything about PPTH behind her.

They danced around the facts of her leaving, but finally, he couldn't resist. He wanted to know why she'd left and if she'd ever come back.

"Will you ever come back to PPTH, Allison?" he asked as they stood by the lake, looking out across to some boats.

Allison turned her head in the other direction, looking far out over the lake. "I don't know, James, I really don't. I miss it a lot, but there is a lot of water under the bridge. I don't know if I can work alongside Robert and House."

"May I ask why you left? I mean, I heard rumours." Wilson probed, hoping to get answers.

"Wilson-" Cameron began, not sure she wanted to talk about it.

"I can only speak for myself when I say that you are missed there." It was true, he did miss her. They hadn't been just co-workers, they'd been friends.

"Do you believe people are unfixable? Because I think I'm unfixable." Sadness crossed her face.

"I don't believe that, Allison. You shouldn't label yourself that way. You're a good person."

"Do you really believe that? Because I don't. Things got tough between Chase and I and I did what I did before. I ran. It was easier for me to deal with things that way. That's why I think I'm unfixable. Chase did something that I couldn't handle regarding work. I thought we could leave, start over fresh, go together. But he couldn't leave. He had to stay for himself. And I couldn't stay. I ran." Allison said quietly.

"Do you still love him? Do you wish you were still married to him?" They resumed walking by the lakeshore.

"Somedays, I really miss him. I really did love him, no matter what he thought. I told him that when I came to get the divorced papers signed. I just didn't love him enough, I guess. Sometimes I wonder why we married at all, it was all over so fast." She kept pace with Wilson, feeling a weight lift from her. She hadn't talked to anyone about this, ever. It helped, getting it out.

"Well, I'm sure not the one to ask. Between the two of us, we've had five marriages." he laughed.

"I'm serious here, Wilson!" But even at that, Allison couldn't keep a smile off her face, so she swatted at his shoulder.

He caught her hand, giving her a funny look, before releasing it. He smiled at her, glad he'd helped her get some of this out. Before he released her hand, she looked at him, catching his brown eyes. A shiver ran through her. She hadn't felt something like that in a long time. Something about being with him after all this time made her feel good. She liked it. He moved closer to her, almost as if he was going to kiss her, before he backed up and gave them some distance. It was as if he thought better of it.

He started walking again, and she followed. They found a place further on with a bench and they both took the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the view. Allison found the scene peaceful and quiet. She hadn't had much of that the last few months. She let out a sigh. Wilson looked over at her and moved closer to her, putting his arm around her in a hug. She stiffened slightly, before accepting it as a gesture of support.

"It will be okay someday, Allison. That's what you told me when Amber died. You won't ever forget, but you move on and deal with it."

"I know, I know. It still feels a little bit of me died when I left. I wish I could go back and change everything. Just everything."

He hugged her tighter, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It had been a long time since she'd done this with anyone. It felt good to have some support, however brief. They sat that way, looking at the rippling water for quite awhile, not speaking. Finally, Allison broke the hug James was still giving her, getting up.

"We should get back. Have to get ready for dinner. Will you join me tonight?" She asked him, hoping he would sit with her.

"I'd like that. Yes, I suppose we should go. This is the opening of the conference, this dinner. I'll make sure we're seated together. Pick you up at 6:30?" he asked her.

"That's fine. You know my room number, I'll be ready." she agreed quite readily. Suddenly the prospect of a boring conference dinner didn't seem so bad, now that she had someone to share it with.

They got back to the hotel and parted. Allison felt a pang of something as she watched him walk away. It had felt good being with him and she felt happy. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. She went in the opposite direction, heading for her room. Now that she had his company, she felt much better about this whole conference. She hadn't known how she'd longed for someone to talk to. And Wilson was very good at listening, being a shoulder to cry on. No wonder he had the reputation he had, he really did pay attention when a woman talked to him. That made her smile more, laughing at herself really, thinking that she'd gotten some of the "Wilson treatment". As she reached her room, she began to wonder what the rest of the "Wilson treatment" might be, and if she was willing to go along with it. She shook off the thought, letting herself into her room to get ready for the evening. She suddenly found she couldn't wait for this evening and being in his company again. It was the first thing she'd looked forward to in a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Allison relaxed in the bathtub of the hotel room. She sat with her head back, thinking about the afternoon spent with James Wilson. She was surprised by how much she had enjoyed being with him, talking about things. They'd danced around a lot of what each had wanted to know, perhaps it had been for the best. She'd thought that maybe he was part of her past, but she had been really glad to see him. Memories of PPTH and the people she'd worked with and loved paraded through her mind as well. She wanted to ask if Chase was doing okay, but had hesitated. She really didn't want to know if he was doing much better without her there. And then there was House. Finding out he'd been in a relationship with Cuddy still stung a bit. No matter that she'd loved and married Robert, a little bit of her still had feelings for him. No matter that she blamed him for ruining Chase. No matter that she'd fled Princeton because of him.

She sighed. She really didn't want to think of House or her old job. Especially didn't want to think of Chase. But being in Wilson's presence brought a lot of feelings out in her. She found she was happy to see him. He was the only one she'd tried to keep in touch with after she left. They had emailed and chatted a couple of times, but had started to drift. It had been a couple of months since the last time she'd heard from him but seeing him had felt so good. And she found she was looking forward to spending some more time with him at this dinner tonight.

Allison felt a shiver go through her and realized the bath water was getting cool. It was time to get out and get ready for dinner. She grabbed a towel and dried off, going out into her room to pick something to wear. She surveyed what she'd brought with dissatisfaction. She'd brought some nice outfits, but nothing to impress the man she'd be with. The thought stopped Allison cold. _She wanted to impress Wilson?_, she thought with panic. _Why?_, she questioned herself. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her in all manner of disarray, mussed and looking the worse for wear, after hours of working in the E.R. But right now, here, she wanted to wear something to make him see her as someone besides a doctor and a friend. She wanted this to be like a date.

She sat down on the bed, surprised at the revelation she'd just had. She questioned everything about this. She wondered why, after all these years of knowing him. Maybe it was just an attempt to reconnect with her old life, the one she'd fled from. She shook her head, throwing off the feeling. This was simply a dinner between two old friends and she rarely got a chance to play dress up. That was all. Besides, she'd left her husband for being influenced by House. She wasn't about to start up with the man who was House's best friend and had been ruined by him years before they'd ever met. That was what she tried to tell herself anyway.

Going through her choices, she settled on a flowing casual dress, in blue and white. She set about drying her hair and then doing her makeup. It was nearing six-thirty by the time she finished up, putting a shawl around her shoulders as a final touch. She heard a knock on her door and went to open it.

"Right on time." Allison said to James.

"Always." he smiled at her.

God, she thought to herself, his smile. No wonder so many women fell for him, he had a beautiful smile. She wondered why she'd never really noticed it before. _Stop it!_, she thought to herself. It's just Wilson! She grabbed her purse, threw in her room key and left the room with him. He offered her his arm, which she took and they proceeded to the elevator. It didn't take them long to get to the dining room, where they were promptly seated. Wilson held out her chair for her and helped her get seated before taking his own chair. The waitress took their drink order, before leaving them to look through the menu.

"You look wonderful tonight, Allison." James complimented her, appreciating what he seen.

She blushed a little. She wasn't much used to hearing compliments anymore, and the fact that he was saying it to her made her happy. But then, Wilson would have said anyway, cause he was nice, she told told herself.

"Thank you. It's one of my favorite dresses."

"Well, it suits you. You should dress that way more often." He smiled at his silliness.

"Where would I wear it? Running diagnostics? Checking on lab cultures?" she smiled to let him know she was joking.

"I meant outside the hospital, Allison. Not that I seen you much outside of PPTH, but it's a good look for you. Maybe get you out on a few more dates."

"Maybe I don't want to date, James. I haven't exactly been lucky with the men I've chosen." Allison looked at her menu.

"Maybe you just hadn't found the right one yet."

"Maybe. Is this where I say "someday my prince will come?" she joked, trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood.

"You could. Or maybe you could say you just haven't found the right one yet, the one who would appreciate Allison Cameron." He was being serious. He noticed something in her that had changed since he'd last seen her. Something akin to defeat and having given up. He didn't like seeing her that way.

"So what looks good to you?" Allison asked, abruptly changing the subject. She was tired of this probing, not wanting to discuss her non-existant love life.

James looked at her, wanting to say "you do", but refrained. Instead he looked at the menu, before saying the chicken in a creamy garlic sauce looked rather good. When the waitress came back, that's what both of them ordered, along with an order of the house bread.

They sat and made small talk about the conference, dodging the more personal stuff again. Allison was glad for that. She'd never been one to pour her heart out to anyone, even someone she'd been a shoulder to cry on for. It's like their past friendship was bonding them together this week, but they were taking babysteps towards something else.

The evening passed rather quickly, moreso than Allison would have liked. She'd been relaxed and happy, laughing more than she had in so long. It had been the most enjoyable evening she'd had in a while. He told her the story of betting House about having chickens in the hospitals and avoiding security and all she could do was laugh and be glad that he'd won the twenty dollar bet. She would have been Team Wilson all the way on that one.

They finished up their meals with a delicious dessert of simple lemon meringue pie. After finishing, Allison joked that she needed to go for a walk to wear off all that she'd ate. Surprisingly, he took her up on the offer of going for a walk. Apparently he liked her company, she thought, smiling.

So, once again, they found themselves outside, this time sticking to the wraparound deck that lead to a gazebo with a bench. They were far enough away from the hotel to have some privacy, but not that far away. They stood watching the last of the sun disappearing, purple and red streaks filling the sky. With the last of the sun gone, Allison gave a little shiver and pulled her wrap tightly around her. Wilson noticed, taking off his jacket and putting it on her shoulders.

"You don't have to, James. You're going to get cold." Allison protested.

"I'm fine. You're the one with the bare shoulders." he smiled at her.

"Well, I never imagined spending so much time outside! It really is beautiful here." She wandered over to the lone bench in the gazebo, taking a seat on it. He watched her for a minute before following and sitting down beside her. When she shivered again, he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to give her some warmth. She didn't object, instead snuggling in close.

They sat there, content with one another. Not the thing she'd ever pictured happening at this conference. She'd been looking forward to a couple of the presentations, a nice trip away from her job, but had not expected to ever end up like this. She tilted her head up to look at him. She watched him silently, wondering why he was being so nice to her. She supposed it was in his nature, but still, she wondered if he could ever see her as more than a friend and ex-colleague. He finally caught her looking at him, and she looked down, blushing that she'd been caught, glad that the darkened sky could hide her reddish cheeks.

"Allison..." he trailed off. He lost his train of thought looking at her, instead, he reached his hand out, cupping her chin and tilting her face back up to look at him. He lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers. Again, finding no objection within her, he deepened the kiss. She soon snaked her hand along the back of his head, pulling him in closer to her. Her heart was beating wildly, her mind telling her that this was a bad idea, her heart telling her mind to shut up. For his part, he'd always wondered what it would be like to kiss her. And at this moment, he was very glad he had.

After a few moments, they parted, both slightly out of breath, and neither knowing where the other stood. For a few moments, an awkwardness crept between the, before Allison smiled and settled herself back into the crook of his arm. She snuggled close to him as he pulled her tightly to him. He rested his chin against the top of her head, not wanting to lose contact with her. He'd never, ever thought this would happen, here or anywhere, not with her. He'd always had an attraction to her, but had never acted upon it, mostly because she'd first had a crush on House and then she'd been involved with Chase. It just was just never in the cards for them. But here, alone with one another, he finally had a chance. He had no idea where this would lead, the circumstances weren't ideal, but he found himself wanting to find out, and not just on a physical level.

They finally broke their silence when it became colder and Allison began to worry that he'd be too cold without his jacket. Regrettably, they decided to return to the hotel. Neither really had wanted to go back inside, but they trailed in the direction of it, his arm tightly around her shoulders, hers wrapped around his waist. He walked her to her room, and she surrendered his jacket back to him.

"Thank you for the jacket, but you most have been freezing. You didn't have to." She held it out to him.

"I wanted to. You needed it more than I did." He took his coat back from her, and slipped it on. "Do you want to meet for breakfast in the morning?"

"What time? Dr. Turner's presentation is at ten. We can meet for an early breakfast, if you want."

"I'll be here at eight. That way, if we need to take a walk again, we have plenty of time." James moved closer to her.

"I like walking with you, Wilson. It leads to very interesting developments." Allison didn't object to his closeness.

He took her in his arms again, kissing her gently.

"Goodnight, Allison." he said when he finally, reluctantly broke the contact with her.

"Goodnight, James." Allison felt her cheeks redden again. She found she enjoyed kissing him, something she'd never would have dreamed. And she hadn't been really happy to end the contact. She found that she wanted more than just a kiss.

She watched him walk down the hall, until he disappeared. Only then did she open the door to her room. She let herself in, and once there, leaned back against the door, thinking about what had happened. What did she want with him?, she asked herself. A relationship? A one night stand here at the conference, where nobody but the two of them would ever know? She only knew what her body was telling her, that if he'd wanted to pursue anything this evening, she would have. She only knew one thing. She didn't want a friends with benefits relationship like she'd had with Chase initially. That had blown up in her face. But she also wasn't sure she could do the one night thing either. She was getting to the age where that didn't appeal to her anymore. So, what did she want?

She launched herself off the door, making her way to the lamp and turning it on. That was the problem, she didn't know exactly what she did want. If she and Wilson were to start something, things were going to be difficult for him in Princeton. Chase would probably make things tough on him, House would torment him about it, maybe to the point where James would surrender and give up on them. But if she didn't try, she'd never know, and she might lose out on something wonderful. And she found that she wanted to see if things could work with them.

At that, she shook her head at herself. They'd only just reconnected, spending a day together, and she was here, mapping out a potential relationship with a man who was as badly damaged as she was. Who was to say he wanted anything more than casual sex with her? The man did have a reputation, after all. Suddenly, a yawn erupted from her, and the day caught up with her. She decided to get ready for bed, stop thinking and just sleep on the whole thing. Besides, they had a few more days to see if this would lead to anything between the two of them, and she just might be being foolish thinking it was anything more than a kiss. She hoped the next few days would give her the answers she was looking for, because she was more confused then she had been in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

James went to his room reluctantly. If Allison had wanted to continue the kiss in her room, he would have been very willing. Whatever was happening between them, it wasn't something he'd ever expected. After Amber's death, they'd grown close as friends, she'd been such a support to him. However, once she'd left the hospital, they hadn't kept in touch as well as they should have. He missed having her around, someone he could vent to about House and have understand. He missed her kindness. He missed her.

He let himself into his room, setting the keycard down on the table inside the door. He continued on through to his balcony, sliding the door open and going outside, hoping the cool air would help him get a grip on his thoughts. He didn't know what he wanted with Allison. He felt something, and he wanted to pursue it. Not just sex, although that would be a nice benefit. No, he wanted something more. The timing had never been right between the two of them, but here, it all seemed to have come around. Both of them were free, consenting adults, with no one to hold them back, even though he knew it would be an issue with some people if they did begin a relationship. He evaluated things in his mind. If he chose to go forward, to make something between them, things could be strained. Allison had left Princeton-Plainsboro for her own reasons, and he had no idea if she'd ever come back. Chase and House might get on their cases for being together as well. Would any relationship between them be able to withstand that? He hoped so. Chase was the wild card, unpredictable in what his response would be. Wilson had seen his reaction to the termination of their marriage and he'd seemed to move on just fine with other women. But what would his reaction be to Allison being with him?

James finally had enough of thinking. He was putting the cart before the horse, planning out this future for the two of them, when he didn't even know if she wanted to think that far ahead. And if she wouldn't return to Princeton, where would that leave them? He didn't think he could ever leave there, he was bound too tightly to House, to ever seriously consider leaving. Although he was enjoying the break from him at the moment, he knew he could never abandon him, not with all that had happened to him over the years. Wilson did feel like he was House's only friend, especially since the implosion of his relationship with Cuddy. He felt honor-bound to be there for him. Even if a relationship with Allison lead to the inevitable jokes and teasing about the relationship. If House went too far, he could only hope he could get him to back off.

He finally went back into his room, only feeling the cold when he entered the warmth of the suite. Closing the doors and curtains, he went about getting settled in for the evening, going over his planned speech. Even then, his mind wandered, thinking to the kiss the two had shared on the bench. Thinking of it warmed him, how right the kiss was, how well she'd fitted into the crook of his arm. He knew House would laugh at that, that Wilson was always on the hunt for the next woman, but this time, James felt differently. This was _Allison_, not just some random woman. He couldn't screw this up, he had no wish to hurt her. He tried to concentrate on the notes he'd made, but he couldn't. He finally gave up. He stared over at the phone, wanting to call her. Finally, he made the decision to do so.

He regretted his decision a little when he heard her say "hello" in a sleepy voice, indicating that she'd tried to fall asleep anyway.

"Did I bore you to tears? In bed already?" James asked her.

When she heard his voice, Allison immediately woke up. She didn't feel so tired anymore, it was like her nerves were on end when she heard him. "I've had a lot to think about, a lot of fresh air today. It all caught up with me and I decided to get some sleep. It's been a very long day."

"Sorry to disturb you then. I should let you go." James felt horrible about waking her up.

"No, no, don't go. I don't mind." Allison found she didn't mind. She found she liked the fact he'd phoned her very much.

"Well, I was just thinking about us. And Allison, I really hope there is an "us". And I think we need to have a talk." He felt like a fool, pushing things so soon.

"About what?" Allison heard the nervousness in his voice, he apparently was having the same thoughts she'd had earlier.

"I know we just have had a couple of kisses and we haven't seen each other in awhile. But I have to know, did you feel something? Anything? As in "I would like to see where this goes?" anything?"

Allison remained quiet. He was having the same thoughts as her. She wanted to find out where it might go. "I would love to see where this might go, James. I've been thinking the same thing. And I'd like it if there was an "us" too."

He breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't crazy in his thoughts, she did want to see where this would go. He felt happy. "Are we still on for breakfast in the morning? Because I really can't wait to see you again."

"Yes, we're still on for breakfast. I wish it were time for breakfast now." She really did want to see him again.

Now he remained silent, wondering if this was an invitation to come over, but decided it wasn't. "Well, I can't wait either. Breakfast with a beautiful woman and charming companion, it's an excellent way to start the day."

Allison blushed, not used to compliments anymore. It had been a long time since someone had cared enough to say anything. "Well, you aren't so bad yourself in the charming category. You could give Prince Charming a run for his money."

James laughed, enjoying this light bantering. "Well, I'm no prince and I couldn't possibly compete with him, but thank you all the same. I better let you go, I just had to hear your voice once more this evening. I've missed hearing it daily. I've missed you."

Allison was reluctant to hang up the phone, especially when he said things like that. "I've missed you too, James. I'm really glad I ran into you here."

"See you in the morning, then. I can't wait."

"Goodnight, James."

"Goodnight, Allison." He loved the sound of his name coming from her lips. He wanted to hear it more often.

They both reluctantly hung up. Allison for her part, wished she'd let him come into her room, even considering phoning back and asking if he wanted to come over, but she held steady in her resolve not to plunge into bed with him. At least he wanted to pursue something with her and she wasn't ready to complicate it with sex. She sighed as she settled back under the covers. With thoughts of Wilson floating through her mind, she drifted back to sleep, looking forward to morning.

In his room, however, as he readied for bed, Wilson found he couldn't stop thinking of her, couldn't just switch off. House would call him a fool for pursuing this, but James really did want to see where this relationship would take them. Even if he didn't have the best reputation with women, he liked to think any relationship with Allison was based on friendship first. She already knew him, knew his flaws and still wanted him.

Climbing under the covers finally, he breathed a deep sigh. Never in a million years would he have thought that coming to this one conference things would change him so much. He only could hope they'd both come out of this happy and together. Finally settling down, he drifted off to sleep, thinking of her, and glad he'd decided to come here.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the conference played out much as the first two days had. Allison spent as much time with Wilson as she could, never getting enough of his company. She wondered why, after all these years of knowing him that she found him hard to leave. She enjoyed walking with him, was fascinated by the lecture he did, and was surprised whenever he entwined his fingers with hers. To be honest, she wasn't exactly sure what she was doing with him, allowing herself to fall even more for him. It was wrong on many levels, but she couldn't help herself.

Too soon the conference was coming to an end. Allison fervently hoped that this was not the end of what they had started. She dreaded heading back to Boston, to not have the daily contact with him that she'd quickly grown used to. Wilson felt the same way. Going back to Princeton, to deal with House's situation again frustrated him. Yes, he was House's friend, but things were stressed beyond belief. He probably shouldn't have left House alone for this long, there was no telling what trouble he might have gotten into while he was at this conference. As much as he was House's friend, it seemed to be a full-time responsibility, one that he took very seriously, but at the same time, it didn't leave him much time for himself. His marriages and relationships had all suffered at points because of this. The difference with Allison was that she knew House, knew how demanding and stressful being in House's universe was. And there in lay another problem. Would Allison be able to handle coming back in to that atmosphere, the one she'd escaped from and left her marriage? Would they be able to make a go of whatever was between them?

James watched her as they were eating their last dinner together at the conference. Tomorrow he was taking her to the airport before returning home. He didn't want it either, he would prefer she was coming back with him. But they didn't have much choice in the matter. The conference was wrapped up, the break from reality was over and they were returning to their everyday lives, without one another.

Allison caught him looking at her, a smile on his face, and wondered what he was thinking. She smiled back at him, even though she felt sad that this was the last time they'd be doing this for awhile. They hadn't yet talked about what or how things were going to go after they left here. She supposed that time spent apart would put things in perspective, cool off this relationship that had heated up so quickly. That made her feel even sadder. They hadn't slept together, not yet. Was that where this relationship had been leading? That first night, she would have slept with him, she was convinced of it. Now, after five days of being in each others company, there had been plenty of kissing but nothing beyond that. He hadn't pressed the issue and Allison had held back. She didn't want to appear needy, she wanted this relationship to be different than his other ones.

Still, if anything happened tonight, she'd not be unhappy. There were worse things that could happen, she said to herself. At least if they did sleep together, at least their first time wouldn't be when she was high on drugs. They finished up their meal and this time, there was a dance closing out the conference. When he asked her if she wanted to go to it, she said yes, wanting to know whether he was as good at dancing as everything else. Unsurprisingly, once they were on the dance floor, he proved to be very good. Allison hoped she wasn't the worst, considering she'd had to have dance lessons for her own wedding.

They whirled around the dance floor, Allison liking his hand on her back, their fingers locked together. They danced for the longest time, enjoying themselves immensely, putting off the thought that in twenty-four hours they wouldn't be together. When a slow song came on, James pulled her closer and Allison found she didn't mind it at all. When he maneuvered her out the balcony doors, into the cool night air and relative darkness, they still swayed to the music. Allison rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was beating fast. She lifted her head up to look at him, seeing something in his dark eyes. He lowered his head, capturing her lips with his. The kiss deepened, Allison moaned as he pulled her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing into him. After several minutes of this, they broke away, breathless.

"Allison..." James trailed off. He wanted her, he knew that. But he was going to let her decide how far they'd go.

"Let's go." she said simply. She could play hard to get, turn him down, walk away from all this. But she didn't want to. She pulled away from him, not letting go of his hand, leading him back into the ballroom. They stopped by their table, picking up her purse before making their escape. When they reached the elevator, he pressed the button for his floor. She didn't object. When they arrived at his room door, he pulled her into his arms again, kissing her.

"Are you sure?" was all he asked when they broke the kiss again.

Allison looked at him, knowing he was giving her an out, that she didn't have to go into his room with him. It was all up to her. In response, she took the card key from his hand and opened the door to his room. She pulled him in, before turning around and pulling him close, resuming their kiss. The door closed and they were encompassed in darkness. She felt his hands move over her hips, and the next thing she knew, he suddenly hitched her up. Her legs went around his waist, pulling him ever closer. She didn't object to it, and he soon got caught up in kissing her again. He moved from her mouth to the skin around her neck, feathering her collarbone with tiny strokes of his tongue. When he heard her moan, however, he recaptured her mouth, making his claim to it.

Allison tightened her grip on his waist with her legs. He was obviously aroused by her, she had evidence of that fact. She felt a shock go through her body, knowing what was going to happen between the two of them. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She felt him working on the zipper of her dress, felt it starting to loosen and slip down. Hurriedly, she helped him shed his jacket. After she'd gotten him out of that, she started on his tie, loosening it and finally getting rid of it. She worked on the buttons of his shirt, not wanting to be the only one partially naked. She let her legs relax their grip on his waist, standing for as moment as she started working on his belt buckle. She looked at him, surprised by her boldness. Her knees weakened at the sight of him. She finally succeeded in undoing his belt, working on the zipper. For his part, he finally finished with the zipper and her dress fell to the floor. Reclaiming his territory, he hitched her up against his waist, loving the feel of those legs around him.

She broke away from kissing him long enough to mutter "bed" and he obliged. They collapsed on to it, never stopping kissing. With nothing but a few thin wisps of material between them, he made short work of them. The skin on skin feel finally broke her, she wanted more and she wanted it now. James kissed her again, loving the feel of Allison being with him. He couldn't say he'd dreamed of this moment, but he'd always had an attraction to her. Getting to this point, it made him extremely happy. He slowly eased her knees apart, positioning himself to enter her. He went slowly, before picking up the pace. He raised her hips and she wrapped her legs tightly around him. She was making deep, throaty noises, apparently liking what was happening. He felt her nails scraping along his back and knew she'd left her mark on him. He pressed his fingers into her backside, pulling her tightly to him, knowing he'd leave bruises there. He lost it then, couldn't remember anything until a few minutes later when release came for both of them. He collapsed on top of her, she bore the brunt of his weight, feeling his rapidly beating heart against her. His head rested on her chest, and she wrapped her arms around it, kissing the top of his head.

James didn't want to lose contact with her, but when they separated, he pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arm around her, looking into her eyes. In a way, he was afraid she'd up and disappear, escape from his room, embarrassed by what they'd done. That she'd have second thoughts and run. Instead, she feathered his jaw with kisses, draping her leg over his, their bodies in tight contact. Allison's fingers began making trails up and down his side, exploring what for her was new territory. She drew tiny patterns on his skin as she worked her way up and down, committing his body to memory.

James kissed her forehead, drawing lazy circle eights on her back. The feel of that tickled her, making her giggle.

"You find me funny? Are my skills in this department laughable?" he joked with her.

"I'm just ticklish. You're skills in this department are definitely not laughable. No wonder you've had the reputation you've had." She concentrated on kissing his collarbone, leaving her mark there as well.

"My reputation is overrated." James hoped that it wasn't scaring her off. He hadn't been with anyone since Sam and he liked to think he was over the whole Lothario thing.

They remained quiet, kissing once again, clinging to one another. Whatever happened from here on they'd have to work out. For now, in the darkness, they were together and neither seemed to want to change the situation. James kissed her neck, capturing her hand in his. He held her tightly and somehow, they drifted off to sleep, neither wanting the morning to come and the separation that was was going to happen.


	6. Chapter 6

Allison shivered and pulled the covers more tightly around her shoulders. However, it was enough to bring her out of her slumber and realize she had an arm around her waist, a body pressed up next to her. She smiled when she remembered the activities of the previous evening. James and her. Together. She still found it hard to believe. But here she was, safely tucked in beside him and she had no intention of going anywhere, except maybe the washroom.

Carefully moving James' arm, she slid out from under the cover, and looked for something to cover herself. In the dim light, she seen his shirt, which she'd removed from him earlier. Slipping into it, she navigated her way to the washroom, partially shutting the door before feeling for the light switch. Flipping it on, she blinked in the sudden brightness and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair mussed, her lips swollen, a wild look in her eyes that she hadn't seen in a very long time. And she felt good. About herself, about what had happened, about her feelings for James. She washed her face before making use of the facilities.

Allison shut the light off, exiting into the bedroom. She apparently hadn't been as quiet as she'd tried to be, cause James was propped up on one elbow, awaiting her return.

"You aren't leaving, are you?" Concern laced James' voice.

"No, I just had to use the washroom. Plus, I was feeling a little cold." She pulled his shirt tighter around her, enjoying the scent of his cologne.

James got out of bed, grabbing his robe which lay on a chair near it. Going to his dresser, he pulled out an extra t-shirt he'd brought with him and handed it to her.

"Will this do? I don't have much else that will fit you."

"It's great, thanks." In an act of boldness, she slipped out of his dress shirt, before shrugging the t-shirt on. She knew his eyes followed her actions. She hoped he enjoyed it.

She watched him pull on a t-shirt and sleep pants, before going to hug him. "I'm not going anywhere, James. You have me the rest of the time we're here. Longer, if you want."

In the dim light of the room, he held her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling her heart beating next to his chest. He didn't want to be anywhere else, with anyone else. And he didn't want to lose contact with her. He wanted to be with her, maybe permanently. House would call him a fool, heart on his sleeve, an idiot. But he didn't care. He had fallen for Allison Cameron in a way he hadn't thought possible.

They stood there for the longest time, clutching on to one another, neither wanting the evening to end. They finally climbed back into bed, facing one another. He kissed her tenderly again, smiling at her afterwards.

"I do want you around longer, Allison. Much longer. These last few days have made me wonder why we never connected when you were in Princeton. And I know it seems way too fast, but I don't want this to end after we leave here. I want to make the effort. I want to see you. I meant what I said on the phone that first night." He caught her hand with his, entwining his fingers with hers.

Allison didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She did like Wilson, a lot. She did want to spend more time with him, have a relationship. But if she did, how was she going to do this? Chances were that if they continued, it would involve a move on her part. Back to Princeton. Back to where she'd run from House and Chase. It scared her.

However, as much as that scared her, not knowing what would happen with Wilson scared her more. She liked him. She was falling for him, in a way she'd never have thought previously. Sex didn't make a relationship, but it had cemented the fact they had strong feelings for one another. It wasn't just a one night thing on either of their parts.

"I want to try this, James. I want this. I'm not sure where we're headed, but it scares me even more that if I run, I'll never know what may have been." Allison finally admitted her fears to him.

James kissed her again. He couldn't get enough. He finally broke away, deciding to make plans to see each other as soon as they could again.

"I can fly up in a couple of weeks. It will be my first weekend free. Next week, I have a monster truck rally with House. I don't think I can get out of it." he told her with regret in his voice.

"I can fly down next weekend. I actually have it off, despite being away this last week. But I don't have to, if you think it's too much." Allison didn't know how fast he wanted to move and didn't want to scare him off.

"Next weekend sounds great, just that I have the rally with House. But we can still spend time together. I have an extra bedroom you can stay in. Just so you know that you don't have to share a room with me. Not that I wouldn't enjoy having you share a room with me." His hands moved down her back, drawing her in closer to him.

"What are you going to tell House? About us. I don't think you can keep anything secret from him. How much are you going to tell him about us?" Although the thought bothered her, she knew it was part and parcel of being with James. Their secret would be out in no time.

"I'll tell him the truth. He might not like it, but he's going to have to accept it."

"He'll call you an idiot. He'll call me much worse." Allison blinked back tears that threatened to form.

James kissed her forehead tenderly. They both knew what House was like, but chances at happiness were rare. Both had tried and failed in the past. But maybe this time, they'd both get it right. And it would be more than worth it for both of them.

Silence fell over them, both starting to tire again. Allison fell asleep first, cuddled in his arms. It was actually the first time she slept well in a long time. James wasn't that far behind her, listening to her gentle breathing, kissing the top of her head one last time before slumber captured him too.

When morning came, they were still wrapped in each others arms. He awoke first, looking at the woman beside him. He marvelled that she was willing to do this, to go forward with him, despite her fears. He did wonder about House though. Chase too. What made her want to be with a man who was House's best friend? If anyone was ruined by House, it would be him. But here she was, in his arms, in his bed and willing to try and work on a relationship. Even if it meant coming back to Princeton and facing her past.

He found he couldn't help himself, he started feathering her neck with kisses. It didn't take long for her to wake up, smiling at him. She cupped his face, drawing him in for a kiss on the lips. It didn't take long for things to progress to more than just kissing. But, as much as she would have loved to have spent the morning in bed with him, she finally, reluctantly had to leave him to shower, get packed and be ready to leave. Their separation was going to happen, even if she dragged her feet. It was just a fact. They made plans to meet for breakfast and Allison dressed to leave. She didn't care if the whole hotel could tell what she'd been doing, slipping out of his room in her dress from the night before. She didn't care if the whole world could see it.

Slipping into her room, she set to work packing. She left an outfit out to change into, and then had a quick shower. Trying to delay the inevitable wasn't helping, she only grew more upset as time went on. She was relieved when they met up at breakfast again, happy to see him, to hold his hand. She'd never been one to wear her heart on her sleeve, but here she was, barely able to face the fact that they were parting.

They didn't talk much on the way to the airport, he held her hand, not wanting to lose touch with her. James carried one of her bags for her into the airport, she checked in and sat to wait til her flight was ready. She put her head on his shoulder, clutching his hand.

"Let me know when your flight to Princeton is next week. I'll pick you up at the airport." James offered.

"Okay. I'll phone you after I book the ticket." She held his hand, refusing to let it go.

Wilson put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. "It'll be okay, Allison. It's only a week til we see each other again. I'll talk to you once you get home." He said this to her to reassure himself as much as her.

"I know, I know. It's stupid." Allison fretted.

"It's not stupid. I'm going to miss you too." He patted her shoulder.

They stayed that way til they heard her flight being called. He picked up her travel case to accompany her to the gate. They stood there, hugged and he gave her one more kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, not caring they were in the middle of a crowded airport. She needed this to feel reassured that yes, they would see each other soon. Finally, the last boarding call came across the speaker and Allison finally had to break away. With a final look back and a wave, a saddened Allison left James. He watched her til she was out of sight, before turning and heading to his car. It was time to go home and face House. God only knew how that was going to turn out.


	7. Chapter 7

James let himself into his office Monday morning, ready to begin another week of work. By the time he'd gotten home yesterday, he'd been tired. He'd had to pick Sara up from where she was boarded and after the week he'd had, he was glad to be home. He'd phoned House to see how he was shortly after he'd gotten home, but House hadn't answered his phone. Worried, he'd gotten up and gone to House's apartment to check on him, only to find him not there. Checking his usual haunts had been useless, he wasn't in those either. So, he'd gone for some takeout, left a message on House's voicemail, and gone home.

After Sara and him were settled in watching some shows he'd missed while he was gone, he'd phoned Allison. Hearing her voice, so far away, he'd found he'd missed her more than he thought he would. In the short amount of time they'd been together, he'd grown accustomed to hearing it, of having her around. He couldn't wait to see her again.

As he settled in to his desk, he dreaded the arrival of House. He knew he'd be in a mood, he hadn't returned James' voicemail, and he knew that House would make him feel guilty for having gone to the five day conference. And he also knew that somehow, some way, House would know about him and Allison. Not Allison herself, but that James had met up with a woman. He almost groaned at the thought of the teasing that was going to occur. He also figured he'd come clean about who he was with. If he prolonged the inevitable, like he had with Amber, it would be worse. Yes, Allison was miles away right now, but he hoped that she'd return to Princeton eventually. He really thought this might work out with her.

He'd just started on some paperwork that had piled up while he was gone when his door burst open. House came in, plopped himself in the chair and propped his feet on Wilson's desk. James simply looked up from his paperwork and said "And a good morning to you, too."

"I got your message. Sorry I missed it. Took a little road trip with Thirteen."

"That must have been exciting. Where has she been the last few months?" Wilson liked the young doctor, that she challenged House like she did. Her disappearance had been odd, but it seemed to be the way things worked around this place.

"Can't say. I pinkie-swore that I wouldn't tell."

"Okay then. So what are you here to discuss? New case? Old case? How your vacation went? How my vacation went?" Wilson asked.

"Oh, let's talk about yours. I'm thinking you got lucky at this conference. You're much less on edge than you were before you went to it. You dog, you."

Wilson almost blushed. How would House know something like that? Yes, he hadn't been with anyone since Sam had left him, but he hadn't wanted anyone. One night with Cameron and he was much more relaxed? Really?

"So who was the lucky girl? Waitress? Maid? Desk clerk? Was she at least good looking? You didn't go and ask her to marry you already, did you?"

"No, I didn't ask her to marry me!" James protested.

"Ah hah! There was a girl! I knew it!" House said gleefully. It was ridiculously easy to get Wilson to admit stuff sometimes.

Wilson sighed. He was lousy at keeping things from House, he really was. He wondered how long it would take for him to admit it was Allison he'd been with.

"Yes, there was a girl. And no, I didn't ask her to marry me. Maybe someday, but not now." James admitted.

"Why would you want to do that? She was a hookup at a conference! Why are you trying to make it in to a relationship?" House prodded him.

"She wasn't just a hookup at a conference. She's someone I've known for years. We've been friends for awhile and spent the conference together. And I seen her in a different light at the conference. Not to mention, we're both free at the same time. Which pretty much has never happened since I've known her." James was slowly getting around to the fact of who he'd met at the conference. Going slowly at it, but he had no idea how House would react.

"That's hard to believe, that after years of knowing you, she'd want to hook up with you. She must know about your history then. Maybe she is a keeper. I mean, if she knows you're track record and still hooked up with you, maybe you deserve one another." House was being his usual self, but it still stung James a bit.

"Maybe we do." was all Wilson could say.

"Well, that isn't much of a comeback! Defend your woman's honour! Or maybe she has no honour."

"She's got plenty of honour. But I don't know where this relationship is going yet. She lives so far away, and I'm not sure I can get her to come to Princeton. And I can't leave here." James found himself doodling on a notepad, busying himself.

"Well, why wouldn't she want to come to this fine town? I'm sure there would be plenty of job opportunities for someone like her. What does she do, anyway?"

"She's a doctor."

"What a coincidence! And you work at a hospital where you're friends with the higher ups! I'm sure you could get her a job here."

"I wouldn't do that. She wouldn't want me to. Besides, it isn't work that she wouldn't come here for, it's more personal than that."

"She has a problem with Princeton?" House shifted uneasily in his chair. He realized that Wilson wouldn't look at him either, instead concentrating on doodling. Something was up, something that Wilson didn't really want to admit to him.

"No, not Princeton, not really. Some of the people here, yes. She's skittish about returning here. So, we're going to see where the relationship goes." He figured that House would have solved this by now. He was surprised that he hadn't said it was Allison yet.

"So, she's known to people in this town and has a problem with some of them. Enough of one that she's not sure she can come here. Did she use to live here?"

"Yes. She left unexpectedly a couple of years ago."

It struck House who Wilson was talking about. Cameron. Of all the people that Wilson could have hooked up with, he'd hooked up with Cameron?

"Oh my God, Cameron? Why her? I mean, I get the attraction, the both of you are two wells of neediness that you could just fall in, but do you really think it will work between you?" House looked at Wilson in disbelief.

"Yes, I do think it could work between us. But we have some obstacles against us, and we realize that." James put the pen down, looking at House.

"Am I one of the obstacles? And obviously Chase is. I wonder how he's going to feel about you boning his wife." House muttered.

"She's not his wife. Not anymore." Wilson protested.

"Doesn't matter. You're invading territory that belonged to him. He's not going to like it."

"As if he has any say in the matter! He's boned as many women as he could since Allison and him split up. She hasn't been with anyone! He has no right to say anything about who she is with!" Wilson's voice rose.

"You forget she hates my guts. I'm your best friend. Eventually you will have to choose between the two of this, and I always win. You both should cut your losses and find someone else. Treat it as if it were a conference hookup and nothing more. It would be better for both of you."

"I'm not going to treat her that way! She wasn't just a hookup. It was something much more than that. And it's not because we want to fix one another. I've always liked her. But the timing was never right. I was married, she had a crush on you, then she was with Chase. I don't want to just let her go. I like her, House, maybe more than that already."

"You're like an eager puppy, just craving any attention a woman throws your way. What happens when she can't deal with the fact that I'm your best friend? Will she run away again, crushing you like she crushed Chase? What will you do then?"

"You're putting the cart before the horse, House. We haven't even gotten that far yet. Besides, she knows you're my best friend and she still wants to be with me." Wilson was getting upset. He knew this was going to be bad, but it still bothered him.

"If she'd loved Chase, she would have stayed with him, no matter what. What makes you so sure she won't run?"

"If Chase had loved her so much, he would have went with her. His loss is my gain. And I don't know if she'll run. We're just starting out here, House. Give us time. Yes, we may crash and burn. I hope not. I haven't felt this -" Wilson countered.

"way since you were last with Sam. I know, I know. It's been awhile since you had your heart on your sleeve and she was conveniently there and available. I still say it's just a conference hookup. You'll be lucky if you hear from her again." House said smugly, interrupting his friend.

"She's coming here next weekend." Wilson said softly.

"But we have the Monster truck rally!" House quickly protested.

"She knows that. She has no problem with that."

"Well I have a problem with that! If she lasts the weekend, I'll accept that you're with her. We'll see if she can make it through my "welcome back to Princeton"." House stood up, plotting as he did so.

"House, please. Give this a chance. I need to know where this is going to go with her." Wilson might as well have been talking to a wall.

"You've thrown down the challenge, I've accepted." House said, putting his hand on the door handle.

"What challenge? I didn't challenge you to anything!"Wilson protested now.

"We shall see who the better person is. She hates me, she ran because of me. She blames me for ruining her husband. Yet, she hooks up with you, knowing you're my best friend? What's her ulterior motive? Once I've figured out what she wants, maybe I'll let up. Maybe."

"House, don't, please. If our friendship means anything to you, please leave her alone." Wilson pleaded.

House hesitated at the door. Wilson actually had feelings for the woman who used to have a crush on him. In a change of heart, he whirled around.

"Fine, I'll go easy on her. But if she crushes you, I will crush her. You're both idiots. And she's worse than an idiot. I'll leave the fun of Chase finding out to you guys. That should be amusing."

"It's not like he should care. He's been through more women in this hospital than I ever was. Only Taub is worse." Wilson grimaced.

"Well, someone had to take over your title when you went all lovey-dovey with Amber and then Sam. The king had to cede his thrown." House had a glimmer of his humour back.

"I was never as bad as you tried to make everyone think. Really I wasn't."

"I know that. I just love to tease you. If you don't know that by now, you never will." House said sarcastically.

"So, we're good?" Wilson asked hesitantly.

"For now. But remember what I said. She hurts you, she'll regret it."

With that, House went out the door. Wilson sat back down in his chair, still worried. House had given up awfully easily. He only hoped that he could take House at his word, but it still bothered him. He sat down and picked up his phone. He had to let Allison know what had just occurred. He only hoped she wouldn't be scared off at the prospect of being in House's sight once again. He only hoped she had the strength to want to make this work. Because arguing with House had solidified the feeling within him that she was worth fighting for, for making this work. With that, he smiled before dialling her number.


	8. Chapter 8

Allison spent most of her flight clenching and unclenching her fist. She hadn't been back to Princeton since the day she'd been there to get Chase to sign the divorce papers. To be honest, she'd never thought she'd come back to it. Yet, here she sat, flying there to see James Wilson. She shook her head at herself, not believing this. They'd talked on and off all week. She'd heard from him after he had told House about them and it was part of the reason she was nervous about returning. She knew House, knew he'd be plotting something, anything to mess with them. She hoped Wilson and her could stay strong enough to survive the onslaught.

As well as being worried, she also felt anxious. She'd been away from James for six days now. Maybe now that some time had passed, things would have cooled down between them. Maybe six days of House working on Wilson would have soured things between her and him. She was a bundle of nerves and just needed to see him, to be reassured. Yes, they'd talked on the phone and things seemed fine between them. She'd looked forward to the nightly phone calls. She'd packed last night while she was on the phone with him, giving him her flight number and expected arrival time. As anxious as she was, she couldn't wait to see him.

Allison sighed, thinking of the road ahead of her. Now that House knew, it was only a matter of time till Robert found out. She didn't think she had to phone him and tell him she was in a new relationship. She'd gathered enough from Wilson that Chase hadn't exactly been biding his time, doing nothing since the divorce. Not that she'd expected him too, but it was obvious that he'd started to move on long before she had. Did he deserve a courtesy phone call, to announce that she was involved with his co-worker, his friend? Was it her responsibility or Wilson's? She hadn't talked to Chase since she'd left the hospital that day. It had been easier on her that way. Having admitted to him that she wasn't ever really sure she'd loved him like he'd wanted to be loved had devastated her as much as him. She'd hated admitting it.

She turned her thoughts to Wilson. Was she falling for him? Was this just a last grab at a part of her past, to quit running? Was it going to go anywhere or was it going to flame out? She hoped it was going to last. Wilson had told her that he hadn't gone out much since he'd broken up with Sam, and she believed him. He'd told her of House's efforts to throw him back into the dating scene, but he hadn't been able to. Even the ten day deadline he'd been given, he couldn't. House had finally given up pushing him back into the dating scene, instead letting him go for a change.

The seatbelt light came on and they were told to buckle up. This pulled Allison from her thoughts and she shook it off. It wouldn't be long until she seen James now and her heart quickened a little. The man really was preoccupying too many of her thoughts this week. She couldn't help it though. She hadn't felt this in a long time. It wasn't long til they landed and she found her bag. Walking through the terminal, she caught sight of him waiting. She broke out into a smile. He noticed her almost as soon as she noticed him and returned the smile, a wide grin breaking out on his face. Only then did a certain shyness suddenly come over her, making her reluctant to move forward. She stopped moving forward, looking down at her feet.

Confusion crossed James face as he seen Allison just stop and quit moving toward him. He wondered at her reluctance. Relief crossed over him when she seemed to pull herself together and continue her journey towards him. Soon, she stood in front of him.

"Did you have a good flight?" James asked.

"It was fine. Don't remember most of it. Spent a lot of time thinking." Allison admitted.

"Have you changed your mind about us, about being here?" James asked, worry lacing his voice.

"I haven't changed my mind. I'm just worried that you might." she answered truthfully.

"I haven't changed my mind. I've missed you this week." James put his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

Initially resistant, Allison softened as she felt his arms around her. She felt safe there, like she belonged. She soon returned the hug, not caring they were in the middle of a busy airport. They stood there for a few minutes before breaking apart.

"Shall we go?" James asked, picking up the handle of her suitcase and draping his arm around her shoulders.

Allison relaxed a little more, reveling in the feel of his arm enclosing her. She brought her hand up to clutch his, entwining her fingers with his. Anyone looking at them would think they'd been together for a long time, not a matter of days.

They left the airport, getting to Wilson's car in no time. He put her bag in the trunk and then opened the door of the car for her. Allison smiled at him, loving the feeling of being taken care of. Usually she was the one taking care of people. She'd been on her own for awhile now and appreciated things like the effort Wilson was taking with her. Of course, he probably treated every woman he was with this way. She couldn't start to think that she was anything more than that, not at this stage.

They left the parking lot, Allison having no idea where she was going. She actually didn't know where Wilson lived, not now. She knew that he'd moved out of Amber's apartment, buying a condo not long after she'd left here. She wondered what the place looked like, whether Sam had left her imprint on the place when she'd lived there. She felt slightly jealous of the fact, that another woman had been with him, one he'd declared his love for and asked to marry him again. The fact that she was jealous surprised her. She had no right to be.

Sensing her downturn in mood, James looked at her, wondering what was bothering her.

"Are you okay? I thought we'd go to my place, give you a chance to settle in and then we'd go out to dinner. I made reservations at my favourite place. I hope you enjoy the food there." James went on, nervousness making him talk on.

"I'm fine, really, James, I am. It's just odd being back here. I also realize I don't even know where you live anymore. I feel bad we didn't keep in touch as much as we should have. You were my friend when I was here. We should have kept in touch more." Allison answered him.

"It's a nice place. I like it. Lisa wasn't too happy that I bought it out from under her. She was going to buy it." James revealed to her.

"Really? That was a sneaky move on your part." Allison laughed.

"What can I say? I seen the place and just thought it was time to move on. I like it. I can't wait to show it to you."

"I can't wait to see it."

Silence descended on them again, albeit a comfortable one. She laid her head back against the headrest, watching him drive. Her eyes travelled over him, from his floppy hair, down to his brown eyes then over to his hands on the wheel. He caught her looking him over and she blushed, breaking away from looking at him. He smiled, taking one hand off the wheel and catching hers in it. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and she relaxed.

In no time they arrived at his place. He parked the car before getting out and opening the door for her. He got her bags out of the trunk and they headed into the building. Allison was impressed just with how the public areas looked. It was gorgeous. They stopped in front of his door while he fished around for the key. He entered first, before turning and holding the door open for her. Allison slowly entered, not knowing what to expect. She was again impressed.

"It's great in here. Did you decorate it yourself?" Allison hoped he had. She didn't think she could stand if Sam had.

"Mostly. A decorator helped me, I did pick a few pieces myself, but I kind of am hopeless at times with decor. House made me choose something on my own this time, says I've always depended too much on the taste of the women in my life."

"Well, it's a nice place. I can see why you'd want it." Allison stepped further into the room, running a hand along the back of one couch.

"Come on, I'll show you your room." James picked up her bag, going down the small hallway, Allison following. She was mildly surprised that he was doing that, not assuming that she would sleep with him. Entering the room after him, she watched as he put her suitcase on the bed. He turned to her, smiling.

"I'll leave you to get ready. I made reservations for seven."

He hadn't tried to kiss her yet and Allison had had enough. She'd waited all week to see him. She moved towards him, stopping him from leaving the room. Standing in front of him, she put her hand up to his face, gently touching it. He put his arms on her waist, pulling her closer. She tilted her head upwards, brushing his lips with hers.

Moments later, they pulled apart, Allison resting her head on his chest.

"I've missed you." she whispered.

In response, he kissed her again. She happily returned the kiss, throwing herself into it enthusiastically. Again, minutes passed before they finally broke apart and he left her to get ready to go out. She opened her suitcase, pulling out a change of clothes and getting ready. She decided to wear her hair long, preferring it that way. She did her makeup, slipped on a pair of heels and opened the door to head to the living room. James was getting a drink out of the fridge when she entered the room.

"You look terrific." he said.

"Thank you. James, may I ask you something?" Allison had been wondering this since he'd told her of House knowing.

"Sure, go ahead." He helped adjust her shawl on her shoulders.

"Why did you tell House so easily about us? I mean, you could have kept our relationship secret for a long time. I don't even live here. Why tell him so quickly?"

James thought about this, considering what to tell her. Finally, haltingly, he answered her. "With other women, I've been somewhat afraid of his reaction to them. I knew he'd hate whoever I was with. It was especially true with Sam this last time. But you, I don't think he can hate you. I don't want to hide you. I really don't care who knows that we're together. I'm an idiot, I know, but Allison, I feel very strongly towards you."

Allison swallowed, stunned. She thought James was wrong on one count. She did think House could hate her. Hate her for leaving Princeton, leaving Chase, running. And worse, coming back to be with Wilson, his best friend. Whom, if anyone was poisoned by House, one would think that he would be. Yet, Wilson seemed to remain above that. And if she interfered in the friendship in anyway, yes, she did think House could hate her.

Then she thought of what else Wilson had just admitted, feeling very strongly towards her. And he didn't want to hide her. Not to House, not anyone. That was a difference in him that surprised her.

"Well, if you don't care who knows, neither do I." She clutched his hand as he lead her to the door. "And James? I feel very strongly towards you as well."

They stopped in front of the door and he gave her a light kiss on the mouth. Holding the door open for her, they exited the apartment and headed out to dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

Allison padded silently out into James kitchen, the chill of the morning air causing her to shiver. She'd awoken ten or so minutes before, not knowing where she was. She'd slept in the spare room, not sharing James' bed last night. She could have, she knew that. But after they'd come in from dinner, they'd curled up on a couch, watching a movie together, chatting throughout, getting to know each other better. And while they'd kissed, it had ended at that. Neither had pursued going further than that, both were feeling very comfortable with one another though.

Allison had actually been pleasantly surprised he'd refrained from putting the full moves on her this time. She found herself wanting this relationship to work, to not be based merely on physical attraction and sexual compatibility. She liked taking this somewhat slower. She shook off these thoughts as she searched for a bowl, getting out some cereal from the cupboard and making herself some breakfast. After she'd put in the milk, she hoisted herself up onto his counter, slowly eating her cereal, surveying her surroundings. He really had picked out a nice condo. Although her room had been plainly decorated, it was still a nice room. He'd told her that it had been House's room when he'd been living here and the thought made her laugh. She'd finally made her way into a bed House had slept in. Too bad she wanted nothing to do with him in that way anymore.

Noise from down the hall alerted her to the fact that Wilson was awake. It didn't take long for him to appear, hair tousled, his face still sleepy. She smiled at him, liking the way he looked. He came into the kitchen, shaking off the tiredness, returning her smile.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked her, coming nearer to her.

"Pretty good. It's a nice room." She took a bite of her cereal.

"That's good to hear."

James moved closer to her, thinking she looked beautiful sitting there, in a tank top and pajama pants, hair messy, bowl in hand. He took the bowl away from her, setting it on the counter, positioning himself between her legs. She smiled at him, angling her head. Her pulse started to race and he reached in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. His hands started to play with the hem of her tank top, before he slipped his hands underneath. His cool hands touching her warm skin caused her to start, goosebumps appearing on her flesh. He traced his way upward on her back, causing her to arch in to him. It was quite a good morning kiss and it was fast leading to something else. She found that she didn't mind at all.

Allison giggled when he suddenly slid her towards him, hiking her weight around his waist, securing his hands on her bottom and headed down the hall to his bedroom. She kept her arms tight around him, her legs likewise around his waist. She wasn't objecting. The sex with James was good, after all. She knew it was bound to happen again. She giggled again when they collapsed upon the bed, James kissing her deeply. She felt his weight upon her and adjusted herself to support him.

All of this was interrupted by a sudden pounding on Wilson's door and House shouting.

"Wilson, I know your in there! Do you have your latest hooker with you? Pay her and let's get going! We have a monster truck show to go to today!" This was accompanied by pounding on the door again, this time with what they assumed was his cane.

The two lovers broke off their kiss, leaning their foreheads together, neither really wanting to quit what they'd started, but having no choice in the matter.

"Maybe if we're really quiet, he'll go away." Allison whispered.

"I wish. You do know this is House we're talking about here. You know he doesn't give up."

"It's been awhile. Maybe I was hoping he'd change." Allison kept her arms draped around Wilson's neck, not wanting to let go.

The knocking with the cane resumed again, and Wilson reluctantly let go of Allison. He didn't need trouble with his neighbors, he was quite happy living here. If House kept this up, Wilson thought he'd never be looked at normally by the neighbors again. Allison groaned in frustration. She'd wanted James. Badly. Instead she felt frustrated and angry with House. James kissed her shoulder.

"Later, I promise. I'm so sorry. You know how House is."

"I know, I know. It doesn't change the fact that this could have been a pleasant morning. Still, you better let him in. I'd hate for you to get in trouble with your neighbors."

James smiled. He was surprised that she realized that was something he was worried about. They got out of bed, stopping by Allison's room so she could grab a robe. She put it on, returning to the kitchen they'd just left. She hoisted herself up on the counter again, resuming her breakfast. Wilson went to the door, unlocking it and finally letting his friend in to the apartment.

"About time, Wilson. What could possibly have kept you from answering the door? I didn't disturb anything, did I?" House said with a smirk, looking at Allison sitting on the counter.

Wilson didn't know what to say. He didn't want to embarrass Allison or give House the satisfaction of knowing that he had indeed interrupted something.

"Of course you didn't interrupt anything, House. I was just having breakfast and Wilson was just wondering what to have. Care to join us?" Allison played things very well. She hadn't seen House since the day she'd first left Princeton, telling him that she thought he'd ruined Chase. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had interrupted them.

This threw House off. He'd wanted to cause trouble, to have the two of them frustrated. Looking at Wilson, he couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. For once, Wilson wasn't the open book he normally was.

"I'd love to join you for breakfast, Cameron. Are you going to make it?" House's tone was sarcastic, causing Allison to respond in kind.

She slipped off the counter, opened the cupboard and got out a bowl. Pulling a box of cereal out, followed by the milk, she set it down. "There you go. I don't do requests. Hope you like Rice Krispies."

"Ooh, still have your backbone, do you? How have you been, Cameron?"

"I've been fine. Busy, but fine." Allison kept it short.

"Trying to work your way back into Princeton by sleeping with Wilson? How's that working out for you?"

Wilson sighed, watching the two of them spar at one another. These things never worked out well, but Allison seemed to be able to handle herself. She'd dealt with House and knew what it was like.

"If I'd been sleeping with Wilson before I'd left here, I might never have gone." Allison snapped back.

"What does that say about you and your ex-husband? That he wasn't enough to make you stay, but that sex with Wilson would have? Don't you think if anyone is ruined by me that it would be him? After all, he's my best friend."

"Actually, no, I don't think he's ruined. I think Wilson is immune to you." Allison refused to back down. "He's not as easily influenced as Chase was. Chase changed so much working for you."

House snorted. "Still blaming me for that, I see. You always were idealistic, Cameron. Always trying to see the good in people. Just wait til he breaks your heart. You know he will. And still you slept with him. Were you really that easy that Wilson could seduce you?"

"What makes you think that he seduced me? Maybe I seduced him. And what business is it of yours anyway? Who either of us sleeps with is none of your business." House grated on her nerves sometimes, but she refused to allow him to get the best of her.

"They don't call him the panty peeler for nothing. I just always thought you were above all that. Immune to his charms. Just another notch on his bedpost, I guess though. He always did want to add you to his list of conquests."

Allison sighed. She didn't want to do this anymore. She didn't want to be baited anymore. She walked over to Wilson and kissed him fully on the lips, not caring that House was watching.

"I'm going to go shower. Have fun at your monster truck show." With that, she walked away without a backward glance.

"Why did you do that? Are you trying to ruin things between Allison and me? I asked you not to do this." Wilson's anger was showing through. He was more upset than Allison was.

"What? You know you always wanted to put the moves on her. She should know what she's getting into with you."

"I want to make this work with her."

"You're always wanting to make things work with a woman. Just because she's the first woman you've slept with since Sam doesn't mean you have to leap into a new forever after relationship with her. You fall in love or lust way too easy."

"It's different this time. I don't want this screwed up before we have a fair chance. Quit trying to ruin things." Wilson said angrily.

"You know me, Wilson. Not going to happen."

"House, maybe you should go to the truck show yourself. I don't think I'd make very good company right now." Wilson was really upset.

This stopped House. Wilson rarely missed one of these monster truck rallies and never over a woman. Uncertainty rippled through him. Maybe there was more to this new relationship after all.

"Wait, wait. You know I'm joking. I'll let up on her. It's too late to cancel, you have to come with me. You promised."

"You promised you'd not give her such a hard time. You broke your promise first."

House was caught up in a trap of his own making. He didn't care for it.

"If I apologize to her, will you still come?" He hated having to do something like this, but he wanted Wilson with him. Wilson was his friend, all he really had since Cuddy and him had broken up.

"If you apologize, try and mean it. Allison won't fall for your fake apologies."

"Fine. You've twisted my arm. Maybe you should go interrupt her shower and get her out here for me to apologize."

"I think I'll let her be. Do you want breakfast?" Wilson moved towards his kitchen, setting about preparing his own.

"You know how I like my pancakes." House followed Wilson, settling in at the table. Silence fell over the pair as Wilson worked away. A temporary truce had been called in the hostilities as both men awaited Allison's return.


	10. Chapter 10

Allison got out of the shower and made her way back to her temporary bedroom. She heard the quiet mumblings of House and Wilson in the kitchen and sighed. House could still rattle her, though she tried her best not to show it. She had to find a way to co-exist with him. If she wanted anything to do with Wilson, she obviously had to figure that out. But House could confuse her, play with her emotions, throw her off balance like no other.

She locked her bedroom door, moving to go through her clothes and figure out what to wear. She figured she was on her own the rest of the day and that she'd visit some of her old haunts here in Princeton. Not that she wanted or particularly cared for a trip down memory lane, but she didn't want to spend the rest of the day hiding out at Wilson's, impatiently waiting for him to come back from his "date" with House. She settled on jeans and a shirt over a tank top. Finishing dressing, she brushed her hair, still damp from the shower. She decided to rejoin the men, refusing to let House get the best of her.

"See, Wilson, she didn't crawl out the window to get away from us! She did have a shower!" House declared.

"I can see that, House. Very astute observation out of you, considering she's standing right there." Wilson said.

"I'm in the room and can hear you guys, you do know that, right?" Allison spoke.

"Of course we know. It wouldn't be near as much fun talking about you if you weren't listening."

"House, play nice. I'm not going to ask again." Wilson said, finally seeming to grow a bit of a backbone when it came to House needling Allison.

House looked between the two, seeming to realize for the first time that there was something deeper going on between the two of them, more than just a physical relationship. He found that this bothered him, a lot more than it should. Even when Cameron had been with Chase, he'd always felt that he had a hold on her, that if he'd shown her any attention, she would have come to him, forgetting her vows. But here, looking at her with Wilson, he knew that whatever hold he'd had on her was gone.

"Of course, Wilson. Anything for my friends." With that, House shut up and poured syrup on his pancakes.

Allison couldn't help but feel that something had gone down between the two men, and Allison had won out. Surprisingly.

"I made extra, if you want some. You didn't eat very much before." Wilson said to her, getting a plate out of the cupboard to put pancakes on it for her. She thought that was a very sweet gesture. She smiled, taking the plate from him.

"Thank you. They look great." She sat at the table across from House, James joining her shortly, sitting beside her.

The tension lessened as they concentrated on their food, a welcome relief for James. It seemed like every woman he was with was going to be challenged by his friendship with House. He'd hoped that Allison would be able to handle it, she'd been getting quite good at it before she'd left Princeton. But she'd still ran. He hoped that they could be strong enough together.

It wasn't long til the meal was finished and House surprised them all.

"I'll take my leave of you two lovebirds for now. I'll be back at five, Wilson. Be ready and bring your wallet. You're buying me supper." House headed for the door, leaving the pair staring after him with their mouths ajar. This was definitely not expected from him.

When the door closed, Allison found her voice. "What just happened? Why did he leave? For that matter, if the rally isn't til tonight, why'd he show up at 7:30 in the morning? Wait, don't answer that. I know that one. He wanted to catch us doing something. Which he did."

"I spoke with him while you were showering. I told him to lay off." James took her hands in his. "I don't know how strongly you feel about this thing between us, Allison, but I really want to give this a shot. But we both know that any relationship with each other is going to involve being in House's orbit. And I need to know if you are going to be strong enough to handle it. It's something not many women can."

She looked into the brown eyes, looking at her so sweetly, hoping she'd give him the answer he needed. She wanted to think she could withstand the assault on her that was sure to come if she continued with this. These were all things she'd thought of and dreaded since they'd fallen into this relationship.

"I want to try, you know I do. I thought I was strong enough to withstand him, but now, I don't know if I can. He can get under my skin still. And I hate that."

"So, are you saying this is it? That we're through?" Wilson stiffened. He'd thought she'd meant what she'd said, that she really wanted to give it a shot between the two of them. But the way she was talking, it sounded as if they might be over. His heart started to break a little bit.

"No, no. I'm not saying that at all. God, James, this is so much harder than I thought it would be! I thought I'd put it behind me. He walks in here and he knows just what to say to get to me. But I walked away before I said something I'd regret. Because you mean a lot to me. And I do want to try. You don't want to give this up, do you? Do you think I can't handle it?" Allison started to feel her heart sink. She didn't want to give this up without a proper shot at it.

James looked at her, her green eyes looking at him with panic in them. Without thinking about it, he cupped her chin with his hand and leaned in, giving a kiss that lessened her panic. "I don't want to give this up. I think you can handle it, you knew that seeing him for the first time in so long was going to be hard. You don't want to give up, do you? I don't, Allison, I really don't. I don't know why it took so long for us to finally come together, but now that we are, I want to give this a fair chance. But we have to work through the fact that House is a part of our lives, part of my life. And I don't want to fall any deeper into something and you can't handle it."

That stung Allison somewhat. It was a valid argument, but it still stung her. She looked at him, hope and fear in his eyes, as if he was watching a chance at happiness slip away from him and there was nothing he could do about it. It was then that Allison realized it just wasn't strong feelings she was having for him, she was falling in love with him. And that made her resolve to try solidify. She was falling in love with James Wilson and she wanted to hang on for the ride, not give up, not run. She wanted to stay with him.

"I'm not going to run, James. I'm tired of running when my life gets tough. I can handle this, I can."

He looked at her, hoping he could believe her. He'd had enough of his heart being broken, enough of losing another chance at happiness. He wanted to believe her more than anything. This time, Allison was the one to come closer, capturing his lips with hers. The seriousness of their conversation was forgotten momentarily, as the kiss lead to something more, the continuation of the activities that House had interrupted earlier. Afterwards, laying together, Allison curled up beside him, dozing, James could only hope that she'd want to stay like this with him for a long time. A very long time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Potential spoilers for 7x23 of House, for anyone who doesn't know what happened in that episode.**

Allison arrived back in Boston late on Sunday night. It had become routine for her, having spent the last month with one of them commuting every weekend. Next week was James' turn to come there, but she still felt her heart sink every time she heard the final boarding call for her plane. Not only had she found she didn't want to run anymore, she wanted to stay. With James. In Princeton. She didn't know what to do anymore. She'd always been the one who wanted to be needed by someone. Now, she found that she needed to be with him. It took a lot for herself to admit that. It also took a lot to admit to herself that she was officially head over heels in love with James Wilson. They hadn't said it to one another yet, they'd danced around the issue, but Allison was finally admitting to herself that she loved him. In spite of everything, in spite of House, Allison wanted to stay in Princeton and be with him. She sighed as she unlocked her apartment door and let herself in.

She slept fitfully that night, missing the feel of his body beside her. She'd stopped sleeping in the separate room the second time she'd flown to stay with him, preferring to have him by her side. It scared her to admit that she'd become used to being with him so quickly. She'd lived in the same town as Chase and hadn't been able to co-habitat with him for the longest time. A few weeks with James and it was as if she'd found where she belonged. Friday seemed to take forever to come. He was suppose to come on a later flight than normal, when they'd talked he'd told her he had some things to do with House first. She'd grown to accept that they were part and parcel of one another and she had adapted to this in their lives. She found she didn't even mind anymore.

Allison was just getting ready to go to the airport to pick James up when her phone rang. She smiled when she seen his name on her phone and wondered if he'd arrived earlier than anticipated.

"Hi, Allison." James voice sounded defeated and sad, making her worry. She knew something was wrong immediately.

"Are you okay? You don't sound okay. What's wrong?" Allison quickly asked.

"I don't think I'm coming this weekend. Everything has gone wrong here, everything. I can't make it."

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Panic was starting to invade her, concern flood through her.

"House drove his car into Cuddy's house. I was with him til he kicked me out of the car, but I hurt myself jumping out of the way. They're looking for him and I have to stay. I'm not that bad off, but Cuddy's a wreck."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Allison blurted out. She had to see he was okay herself, wouldn't take his word for it that he was alright.

"You don't have to do that. I'll be fine. I'm think I'm just in shock right now. I can't believe he did this."

"Where are you? I'm catching the next flight that I can."

James sighed. He knew there was no stopping her. It struck him that it was nice that someone was concerned about him for a change.

"I'll probably be at the condo. I'm hoping to finish up here with the police and then I'm going home. If I'm not there, you have the key, let yourself in. I'll be there when I can."

"Okay, James. I'll see you in a bit."

Allison sighed, looked at her phone and called the airport. She booked the next flight out and then headed to her bedroom, quickly throwing a few things in her overnight case. She called a cab next and was out the door. The entire flight, she couldn't concentrate on anything, just had an overwhelming need to see James, to make sure he was alright. She knew that it had to be a double whammy to him. He was friends with both House and Cuddy and the fallout was going to be tremendous. She felt it deep inside her that maybe this time, in spite of every other dumb thing House had done in the last few weeks, that he'd finally gone too far and there might not be any coming back from it. She'd been shocked when James had told her of the jumping from hotel balconies, the green card marriage, being back on Vicodin after almost two years of being off it. But this? She shook her head.

Her flight landed and she hurried as fast as she could through the airport process. In no time she was in a cab, heading for Wilson's place. She seen lights in the windows when they arrived there, quickly paid the cabbie, grabbed her bag and purse and headed in. Using her key, she let herself into his place, seeing him sitting on the couch, arm bandaged, his head resting on the palm of his other hand, staring into space. She dropped her bag and headed straight for him.

James didn't even seem to notice her until she sat down beside him. Only then did he come around, reaching out for her and pulling her into a hug. She returned it, just holding on to him. They stayed that way for several minutes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Allison asked.

"I want to go to sleep and forget this ever happened." James sighed.

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry." Allison didn't know what to say, nothing she could say to make it better. "Where's Lisa? Is she okay?"

"She went to her sister's as far as I know. She wouldn't talk to me, for me to even find out if she was fine. Her place is a mess. House is missing. The police haven't been able to find him yet."

"Lisa's in shock. I'm sure she'll talk to you tomorrow. As for House, I'm sure they'll find him."

James got up off the couch. "Do you want a tea? I could really use some tea right now."

"A tea would be great. I'll make it, you go get ready for bed. You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted. And thank you, Allison, for coming. I really need you here."

Allison came to him and kissed him gently on the side of the cheek. "I'm here for you anytime you need me."

James looked at her and for the first time in hours, he smiled. He turned and walked down the hall to the bathroom, leaving Allison alone again. Her worry that he was hurt badly had dissipated somewhat once she'd laid eyes on him, but she knew that emotionally, he was more damaged. She wondered how much time she could get off work, to stay here and make sure he was okay. She couldn't leave him, not when he was like this. She set to work in the kitchen, making the tea. He came back out shortly, just as she finished pouring the hot water into the tea cups and took a seat at the counter.

She put one of the cups in front of him, before joining him on a stool. She noticed a bottle of pain killers in his hand and took it from him, knowing he would have trouble opening the bottle. She looked at the label to see how many to give him before opening it and handing him a couple. She went to get him a cup of water, making sure he took the medication. He looked like he needed the rest and she didn't want the pain from his wrist injury waking him up. She came back around, standing behind him, before enveloping him in a hug.

They finished up their tea and headed for the bedroom. Allison grabbed her overnight bag and trailed after him, making sure he was in bed before heading for the bathroom to get ready for bed. He was already drifting off to sleep when she returned, so she carefully got into bed with him, making sure to not jostle his wrist.

Curling up next to him, she whispered softly to him "I love you."

He heard her and his eyes grew wide. Giving her a gentle kiss on the lips, he responded with an "I love you, too." With his good hand, he gripped her hand in his, settling in, content that she was with him. As much as he hadn't wanted her to worry, to rush here, he was glad she'd came. He needed her here with him. He loved her and was glad that someone was there for him, looking out for him. It felt good to be taken care of for a change. His eyes grew heavy as the medication took effect. He drifted off to sleep, ending what was one of the worst days of his life.

Allison listened to his breathing, knowing he was falling asleep, glad that he'd responded with an "I love you." She couldn't bear the thought of leaving him again, not like this. She needed to come back here, stay with him. She wasn't sure what she was going to do for a job, but she knew that she couldn't abandon him, not after this. She loved him and for that, she'd come back here, to the place where she'd once run from. This time, however, she would stay.


End file.
